Spidey-Sense Tingling? Swing into Action with a Spiderman Party!
From high-energy games to jaw-dropping decor, the right kids' party entertainer can transform your space into a scene straight out of the Spider-Verse. Whether you're planning a backyard bash in the Northern Beaches or a hall hire in the Inner West, this guide will help you plan a superhero party entertainment experience that's fun, fuss-free, and full of action.
Spider-Man isn't just a superhero—he's the superhero. With his relatable backstory, iconic red-and-blue suit, and endless energy, he's a hit with kids of all ages. Gender-neutral appeal – Loved by boys, girls, and everyone in between
– Loved by boys, girls, and everyone in between Age-flexible – Perfect for toddlers through to tweens
– Perfect for toddlers through to tweens Endless content – From classic comics to the Spider-Verse films, there's no shortage of inspiration
– From classic comics to the Spider-Verse films, there's no shortage of inspiration Built-in values – Spidey teaches courage, responsibility, and kindness
A Spider-Man party taps into that universal love of adventure, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that never goes out of style.
Set the scene with a cityscape backdrop, webbed balloon garlands, and pops of red, blue, and black. Whether you DIY or hire a stylist, the goal is to make your guests feel like they've stepped into Peter Parker's world. Webbed balloon arches with Spidey foil balloons and LED lights
with Spidey foil balloons and LED lights Cardboard skyscrapers for a New York City vibe
for a New York City vibe Spider webs made from string, cotton, or glow-in-the-dark yarn
made from string, cotton, or glow-in-the-dark yarn Custom signage like 'Welcome to the Spider-Verse' or 'Web HQ'
like 'Welcome to the Spider-Verse' or 'Web HQ' Hanging spiders from the ceiling or trees for a 3D effect
Add a life-size Spider-Man cutout or a hanging plush figure for that extra wow factor. Bonus points for a fog machine or bubble machine to create a dramatic entrance!
The heart of any great Spider-Man party? A high-energy kids' party entertainer who can bring the character to life. The best performers don't just wear the suit—they become Spidey, leading games, posing for photos, and keeping kids engaged from start to finish. Authentic costume and in-character performance
and in-character performance Interactive games like 'Web Tag' or 'Villain Hunt'
like 'Web Tag' or 'Villain Hunt' Photo ops with Spidey poses and props
with Spidey poses and props Balloon twisting, magic tricks, or superhero training for added flair
Many superhero party entertainment providers in Sydney offer Spider-Man as part of their character lineup—just be sure to book early, as he's always in high demand.
Keep the energy high with themed games that let kids unleash their inner superhero. These activities are easy to set up and even easier to love—especially when led by a pro kids party entertainer. Web Sling Challenge – Use silly string to 'web' cardboard villains
– Use silly string to 'web' cardboard villains Spider Crawl Race – Kids crawl under a string 'web' obstacle course
– Kids crawl under a string 'web' obstacle course Pin the Spider on the Web – A fun twist on a classic
– A fun twist on a classic Villain Freeze Dance – Stop when the music stops or risk being caught by Doc Ock!
– Stop when the music stops or risk being caught by Doc Ock! Spidey Training Camp – Obstacle courses, agility drills, and superhero poses
Add a soundtrack of superhero theme songs and let the kids earn 'hero badges' for completing each challenge.
Fuel your little heroes with snacks that are as fun as they are tasty. Themed food adds a playful touch and keeps the party vibe going strong. Webbed cupcakes with black icing webs and Spidey toppers
with black icing webs and Spidey toppers Spidey pizza slices cut into webs or topped with red/blue ingredients
cut into webs or topped with red/blue ingredients Spider cookies with chocolate legs and candy eyes
with chocolate legs and candy eyes Red and blue jelly cups layered for a Spider-Verse effect
layered for a Spider-Verse effect 'Radioactive punch' – Green lemonade with dry ice fog
And of course, the cake: go big with a 3D Spiderman bust or keep it simple with a webbed buttercream design and a figurine topper. Add a sparkler candle for superhero-level drama.
Send guests home with goodies that keep the superhero spirit alive. These favours are fun, affordable, and totally on theme. Mini Spiderman figurines or masks
Web shooters (aka silly string cans)
Spidey stickers, tattoos, or colouring books
Personalised 'Thanks for Swinging By' tags
Spider slime jars or DIY craft kits
Package them in red-and-blue loot bags or mini webbed boxes for extra flair. Bonus: include a group photo with Spidey as a keepsake.
Sydney offers plenty of venues perfect for a Spiderman party—from local parks to indoor play centres. Backyard parties – Great for DIY setups and outdoor games
– Great for DIY setups and outdoor games Community halls – Ideal for larger guest lists and entertainers
– Ideal for larger guest lists and entertainers Indoor play centres – Many offer superhero party packages
– Many offer superhero party packages Themed party venues – Some even have superhero rooms ready to go
– Some even have superhero rooms ready to go Botanic gardens or local parks – Perfect for outdoor obstacle courses and scavenger hunts
Wherever you host, make sure there's space for your kids' party entertainer to run games and lead the fun. And don't forget a wet-weather backup if you're planning outdoors!
Planning a party doesn't have to feel like battling the Green Goblin. Here's how to keep things stress-free and super fun: Book your entertainer early – Spidey gets snapped up fast!
– Spidey gets snapped up fast! Have a wet-weather backup if you're outdoors
if you're outdoors Keep the guest list manageable for your space and budget
for your space and budget Delegate – Let your entertainer run the show while you enjoy the day
– Let your entertainer run the show while you enjoy the day Create a run sheet – Even a loose timeline helps things flow
– Even a loose timeline helps things flow Prep a superhero playlist – Music sets the tone and keeps energy high
And remember: the best parties aren't the most expensive—they're the most memorable .
A Spider-Man party is more than just a theme—it's a chance to let kids step into a world of courage, creativity, and fun. With the right kids party entertainer, themed decor, and a few clever activities, you'll create a celebration that's as unforgettable as a swing through the Spider-Verse.
From silly string battles to superhero training camps, superhero party entertainment brings the magic to life—and gives parents a chance to enjoy the day too. So grab your web shooters, cue the superhero soundtrack, and get ready to throw a party that truly sticks the landing.
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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
‘Call the police.' Jared Verse left inspired by his Aaron Donald workout trauma
Jared Verse thought he was ready for the challenge. A workout with future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald in Donald's home gym? No big deal. Or so believed Verse, the reigning NFL defensive rookie of the year. 'That workout was psychotic,' Verse said this week. The meeting of the muscles happened in June after Verse stoked Donald's competitive fire during Verse's appearance on the 'Adam Schefter Podcast.' Verse unabashedly if not kiddingly sounded as if he were challenging Donald to a workout duel. 'He don't want that,' Verse said when asked if he could work out with Donald during the offseason. 'He's not ready for that.' Verse added a few other choice comments, causing Donald to playfully respond in a video posted to social media. 'Somebody put the word out,' Donald said. 'I'm looking for you, Verse. I'm looking for you. Come to the house. I just want to talk. I just want to talk, that's it. 'Nothing much, big dog. That's it. Just a little conversation. Put in a little weights. Do a little cardio. You know, the old-man retirement workout. Let's put you through it. See what you can do. I just want to talk. Come on, I just want to talk.' A few days later, the two got together for a workout that Verse will never forget. Donald put Verse through a punishing series of full-body circuit training. 'His wife came in laughing at me — I told her to call the police,' Verse said, adding, 'I tried to lie and say my mom was at my house and I had to go let her in. He told me to give my keys to his management or assistant and that they would go let my mom in. So I wasn't leaving. 'Finished the workout. I'm dead tired, I'm exhausted. I had a plan to go jump in the sauna afterwards, didn't happen. I had plans to watch film, didn't happen. Went home and I didn't work out for another day and a half because I couldn't move my body.' Verse, however, valued the lessons learned. Donald stressed to Verse throughout the exhausting workout that he think about the fourth quarter of games, and the need to be strong when others fall off. 'It was insane to see that's the level it takes to be in the discussions of best defensive player ever or best player ever,' Verse said. 'So that's the level I have to reach on a consecutive basis. That's what I'm striving for now.' Verse is part of an ascending Rams defensive front that includes edge rusher Byron Young and tackles Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske. The Rams added depth by signing free-agent tackle Poona Ford and selecting Michigan edge rusher Josaiah Stewart in the third round of the draft. The confidence in the pass rush led the Rams to stand pat and not add any players to the secondary. A strong pass rush, they reason, will make up for perceived deficiencies on the back end. Verse, 24, is the star of the front. The confident and vocal 2024 first-round pick exceeded expectations last season, recording 4 ½ sacks and 18 quarterback hits while blossoming into one of the league's most dynamic defensive players. Has coach Sean McVay noticed anything different about the 6-foot-4, 250-pound Verse as he prepares for his second season. 'Other than him still talking and you can't hear him shut up ever?' McVay said, laughing, 'I love him. I mean, he is never shutting up, but he's got a relentless energy. 'I think he's understanding how to be able to use that to his advantage.' At the behest of former Florida State and NFL defensive lineman Corey Simon, Verse said he reviewed every play from his rookie season. He focused on the bad plays, as well as the good ones, to find ways to improve. His performance in a 44-42 defeat by the Buffalo Bills stood out. 'They definitely found my weakness in that game,' he said, 'and I definitely made sure that's not a problem anymore.' Verse reported for training camp with a slightly different approach than last year, when he experienced what he described as a rookie mindset. 'I was mentally like, 'Oh, I've got to pound it, I've got to pound it. I've got to pound it,'' Verse said. 'This is a grind. It's a long 17-game season. We're trying to go a lot longer than 17 games, so I can't push myself too much harder. 'I was getting after it [this week], but I still was able to take a little step back, realize, 'hey, not every day needs to be the grand finale.'' Defensive coordinator Chris Shula said that with the departure of veteran Michael Hoecht, Verse has stepped up as a leader of the edge rushers. 'He's a guy that really likes to be coached hard,' Shula said. 'And when your best players like to be coached hard, I think that sets the culture for the whole defense.' Verse has made no secret of his goal to become not only one of the NFL's top defensive players, but like Donald, one of the best of all time. For the time being, however, Donald can continue to go through post-retirement workouts on his own. 'He needs to stay away from me,' Verse joked, 'and if the security sees him on the property, they need to take care of him.'
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I tested the Toniebox and Yoto Player for 2 weeks, and they helped my kids cut down their TV time
The Toniebox offers a lighter, simpler media player, unlocking the door for its many cutesy and beautifully rendered figurines, which are a highlight of this device. The box itself is very durable, bright, and has a satisfying squidginess to it, and even though its audio isn't quite stellar, it's a big hit for younger folk. The Yoto Player delivers a solid audio performance coupled with an adorable lo-fi screen. Its cards keep things simple and pack in a fair bit of media, making them easy to travel with. Its app also offers plenty of control and packs in heaps of free content, representing excellent value. As a busy dad of two, I'm always looking for ways to reduce my children's screen time, which is why kids' audioplayers like the Toniebox and Yoto Player seem like a good proposition. Devoid of a typical display, both allow kids to listen to songs and stories without needing to focus on a screen. They also give them the independence to choose what to play, so parents don't have to worry about YouTube's algorithm going off reservation or their kids turning into TV zombies after long sessions in charge of the remote. While they work in similar ways, the Toniebox and Yoto Player have some key differences, which we'll outline further on. And not only will you read my thoughts on the two devices, you'll also discover what my 6-year-old thinks of them. Plus, do they actually reduce screen time? Toniebox Yoto Player (3rd Gen) Ages 3+ 3-12+ Dimensions 120mm x 120mm x 120mm 110mm x 110mm x 105mm Weight 600g 678g Battery life 7 hours 24+ hours A Toniebox Starter Set is available from the Tonies website for $99.99, with a choice of six colours. Some come bundled with a licensed figure, such as Moana or Spider-Man. Tonies also sell bigger discounted bundles, which is great if you're looking to build your collection quickly. The Tonies figures themselves typically range from $9.99 to $19.99. The third-gen Yoto Player can be yours for $99.99 from the Yoto website and comes with a Welcome Card for overwriting with your own recorded audio. It only comes in a dual white and gray color, though jackets in varying shades are available for an additional $20 when bought together. There's a bit more variance in how much Yoto cards cost, with the cheapest cards starting from around $4 and rising to around $14.99 for more popular compendiums. The Toniebox is the slightly bigger box, which features a tactile, squidgy cube design with a plastic, magnetized top to help secure figurines, LED status square, and asymmetric rubber ears serving as the volume buttons. It's clearly built for some rough and tumble, which I tested immediately when I accidentally dropped it, emerging completely unscathed. You wouldn't want to drop the Yoto Player — its chunkier, all-plastic design feels more fragile. It's got a clean, retro alarm clock look to it, with orange dials on the top corners for volume and track selection, and a card slot on the top. Its key feature is its display, which doesn't play video but pixelated stills — seeing fan favorites like Elmo and Paddington brought to life in vibrant mosaic style is genuinely charming. On the rear is a wedge design for tilting and an integrated nightlight. The Toniebox integrates a minimalist control setup, perfect for smaller kids. Simply place a figurine on the top, and it'll start playing. You're supposed to tap the sides to skip a track or repeat the previous, though it requires a fairly firm tap to acknowledge your input. I tried teaching the technique to my daughter, and while it took a few goes, we eventually got the hang of it. You can also tilt the box to fast forward and rewind. The Yoto Player offers a greater level of control but needs more nuanced inputs. During playback with a card, you can click the dials to track forward or back and twist the left dial to control volume. With a spin of the right dial, you can bring up a track selector, represented onscreen by the card's track number and relevant icon. The power button on the side also doubles as a pause button. The Toniebox does a moderate job in the sound quality department — its single speaker has a comparable volume to the Yoto, but there's a slight muffling in the audio that dampens its crispness. Putting Moana's You're Welcome on, I also noticed a lack of oomph in the rap elements, and audiobooks, while offering decent clarity, do carry some tinniness in the vocals. The Yoto Player's dual speaker setup is the winner here. With the volume cranked up, clarity is excellent for such a diminutive box, and there's even a surprisingly decent bass response — just don't expect it to compete with your Bose. I stuck on Moana: The Songs, and its mid-range notes filled the room with crisp lucidity. Both players work similarly, involving a concealed NFC chip in a figurine or card. Once placed or inserted, the player can determine if the media tied to the chip needs to be downloaded, played from local memory, or streamed via Wi-Fi. With the Toniebox, an attractive prospect for kids is collecting the figurines, particularly the licensed models. Queen Elsa and Moana came with my sample pack, and both models represent excellent detail and quality and near-perfect representations of their big screen counterparts. A word of warning though — keep these figures safe, as if they're lost in a toy box or go walkabout, you won't be able to play that media again. The Yoto gets around this issue with its cards — once downloaded, the media syncs with your phone's app, so you can quickly zap over your kid's favourite story without having to rifle through your card library or control the device directly; handy while on car journeys, for example. Due to their size, neither system is particularly portable, and you'd argue that the Tonies figurines are trickier to haul around. Though the Yoto cards don't offer the aesthetic appeal of the Tonies, they're easier to lug around in a card wallet. There is an impressive array of over 200 Tonies available, including Disney's Encanto, Frozen, and Tangled as well as popular characters from Toy Story, Sesame Street, and Cocomelon. I can see kids wanting to build up a vast collection of them, so they can make for great stocking fillers or smaller gifts from relatives. One licensed figurine generally crams in between 30 and 60 minutes of audio. And while the Frozen figure features an abridged story, it would have been nice to pack in a few extra songs than the four included for $20. It's also worth pointing out that not all Tonies feature their film's original songs, instead sung by different vocalists. I was slightly disappointed this was the case, seeing as the company has gone to great lengths to ensure their figurines look authentic. Both the Moana and Frozen tracks feature alternate singers, though Encanto does carry the original vocals, so it's worth checking out product previews to hear what you're getting. That said, while it might cause some uncanny feelings in parents, having different vocals didn't perturb my daughter at all, and she was content playing through all of them. Yoto also carries popular favourites such as Frozen, Moana, and Peppa Pig. While their cards have fewer of the Disney brands, they have much more expansive audiobook selection, with Paddington, The Gruffalo, and the works of Julia Donaldson and Roald Dahl on their roster. The choice is staggering too, with over 1,200 storybooks, music albums, and compilations available. These cards might not be as exciting as the Tonies, but the range means they can suit younger and older kids. I also checked with Yoto HQ, and they confirmed that all their Disney range features the original vocalists on its licensed songs. Another difference is that while the Tonies generally feature a handful of songs plus a shortened story, the Yoto splits them up, selling one card with more songs and another packing in a longer story — both Encanto cards are $14.99. So really, it's a toss-up between the Tonies figurine with less content, and the Yoto card with more. As the Toniebox emphasizes user independence, there's no way to control playback via smartphone app, but you can check out Tonies for sale, review the Tonies you've registered, adjust volume limits and record your own audio. There's also a Free section that carries a decent selection of audiobook samples and free songs and books. The app is looks very clean and is very easily navigable. The Yoto app handily carries all of the media that's tied to your account, so you can operate it like a remote for your player. It also has a create studio feature and news section for product announcements. The standout feature is the Discover section, which has a host of sleep sounds, free podcasts, and exclusive radio stations, giving it a big boost to its value offering. The app itself can be a little trickier to navigate due to its many sections, but most won't have any issues. The Toniebox yields around 7 hours on a single charge. It relies on a bespoke charging base rather than USB-C, so you'll need to remember to pack that if you're on the road. The Yoto Player handily accepts USB-C charging and delivers over 24 hours of playback. Unsurprisingly, my six-year-old was immediately drawn to the Tonies. She loved the songs, figures, and design and squidgyness of the Toniebox. As stated before, when I questioned the use of alternate vocals, she didn't mind at all. And while it took a few goes to get the skipping tracks tap technique right, she enjoyed the tactile experience. She also liked the Yoto Player — albeit to a lesser extent — particularly its cute, pixelated display that she said was very colorful. At the age of six, however, she was more interested in the licensed content that she knew of, rather than giving new stuff a chance. We've been testing both for nearly two weeks, and she's only been too happy to slot in a card or figurine and have a big sing-off with Queen Elsa, Mirabel, and co. Importantly, getting her off the TV has felt less of a chore, and it's great that she's engaging so well with the licensed content. With all that said, in my daughter's view, the Toniebox emerges victorious. Both the Toniebox and Yoto Player have a lot to offer for kids, and their media libraries are extensive. Importantly, both represent a novel way for them to take charge of their media consumption and are much safer and appropriate than letting them loose on an iPad or YouTube. It can be all too easy for them to be hooked on screens these days, so having these devices around is beneficial to give their eyes a rest and get their imaginations flowing. Just be aware that investing in either device locks you into an ecosystem of having to buy more and more figurines and cards, and at around $10-20 a pop, costs can soon spiral. Younger kids will no doubt prefer the colorful Toniebox and its exciting range of gorgeous figurines. With that said, older kids, particularly preteens, will get a lot of enjoyment out of discovering newer books and free content with the Yoto Player. For its functions, superior audio performance, and longevity, the Yoto gets my vote, but there's no denying the Toniebox's vibrant appeal among smaller audiences, including my 6-year-old.
Time Magazine
3 days ago
- Time Magazine
How the Fantastic Four Shaped the Future of Superheroes
When The Fantastic Four: First Steps premieres this week, it will mark the return to prominence of four heroes not just foundational to Marvel and its ever-expanding empire of comics, movies, and television shows, but to modern pop culture and storytelling. The Fantastic Four, a tight-knit family with strange powers, were created by comic industry veterans Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961. The comic, with its bickering heroes and setting in New York City, defied genre conventions and offered a radically different vision of superheroes than the staid, righteous Superman and Batman. Immediately successful, the Fantastic Four birthed modern Marvel comics and its vast, interrelated web of heroes and villains spanning more than 35,000 issues to date. It also created the template for the modern superhero—irreverent and wise-cracking, but flawed and vulnerable. From the Fantastic Four, the Marvel style of superheroics multiplied, yielding Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and Iron Man, among many others. Inevitably, the Marvel brand of superhero narrative leapt from the printed page to other media, first cartoons, then television and on to the movies. The Fantastic Four didn't just pave the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a 37-film behemoth that has grossed $31.9 billion, but also seven Superman movies ($2 billion and counting), 13 X-Men movies ($2.49 billion), the Dark Knight Trilogy ($1.12 billion) and dozens of others. Beyond the superhero genre, it's hard to watch franchises like Star Wars and the Fast & the Furious, with their bickering, misfit heroes, without seeing traces of the Fantastic Four's DNA. 'The Fantastic Four were always the heart and soul and center of the Marvel universe and the Marvel universe has inspired so many creative people in so many different ways,' says Tom DeFalco, the former editor-in-chief of Marvel who wrote 60 issues of the Fantastic Four comic in the 1990s. On and off the silver screen For characters so integral to Marvel and its history, the Fantastic Four has been noticeably absent from its cinematic universe. That's largely a result of misguided deals made in the 1990s, when a cash-strapped Marvel sold off the movie rights to its top-tier characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. While Spider-Man and the X-Men both enjoyed some success in their early 2000 movies, Fantastic Four fans were not as fortunate, with a pair of joke-heavy movies released in 2005 and 2007 to mostly poor reviews, and a disastrous 2015 reboot that made the first two shine in comparison. The Fantastic Four comic has also faded in and out. Starting out as Marvel's flagship comic in the 1960s, it sputtered in the 1970s before taking off again in the 1980s. The comic drew critical acclaim under writer Jonathan Hickman in the early 2010s, before disappearing entirely from 2015 to 2018, allegedly to deny Fox any free publicity for its movie. Marvel regained the rights to the Fantastic Four (as well as the X-Men) when Disney acquired Fox's film studio in 2019, and the comic, currently written by Ryan North, has been on a recent upswing. Despite that checkered history, C.B Cebulski, Marvel's editor-in-chief, says the company has never wavered in its commitment to the Fantastic Four comic and the title will enjoy extra attention in the wake of the movie release. 'From my point of view, the FFs been the core,' Cebulski says 'They've been the core in publishing. What's happened outside of publishing was never really a concern to me. But we've always focused our best efforts on making sure those four —Reed, Johnny, Ben, and Sue — were somehow featured in the best possible light every year since I've been at Marvel and before.' The story of the Fantastic Four It's hard to imagine now, in this era of superhero ubiquity, but there was a time when costumed crusaders had all but vanished from the cultural landscape. Modern superheroes were born in comic books in the late 1930s and they headlined dozens of titles throughout the 1940s. Fueled by patriotic stories, circulations soared, with some titles selling more than a million issues annually. But by the mid-1950s, super heroes had all but vanished from newsstands, a result of changing tastes and a paranoid, Cold War-fueled campaign to protect children from harmful influences. The catalyst was Seduction of the Innocent, a 1954 book by psychiatrist Frederick Wertham that argued American children were being led into juvenile delinquency by lurid and violent comics. Wertham's book led to a Congressional inquiry, led by Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, best known for his investigations into organized crime, and the blacklisting of dozens of comic creators. It also led the comic book industry to create the Comics Code Authority, a self-regulating body that prohibited titles with the words 'Horror' and 'Terror,' banned any mention of the occult, and insisted that in comic books, law enforcement must always be treated with respect and crime should never pay. As part of this self-censoring regime, comic publishers purged their lines of most superheroes, leaving western, romance, and humor comics. A handful of heroes remained, mostly stalwarts like Superman and Batman, but their stories were wan and gimmicky, far from the action-packed tales of the previous decades. Out of this parched environment, came the Fantastic Four. Unlike their relatively simple origin in the comic—a brilliant scientist, his best friend, his girlfriend and her kid brother go into space and are bombarded by cosmic rays—the creation of the Fantastic Four title is shrouded in mystery, controversy, and litigation. One version says Marvel's publisher, inspired by the success of rival DC's newly launched team book, the Justice League of America, demanded his own version. Another says Stan Lee, frustrated by years of toil churning out uninspiring comics, was prompted by his wife to try something new that would excite him. Another version assigns all the creative credit to Jack Kirby, a brilliant artist and storyteller who shunned the spotlight as much as Lee craved it. Most industry observers agree both Lee and Kirby made important contributions, but precisely who did what remains unknown. But for the next 101 issues, the two would work together, with Kirby largely coming up with plots and drawing the stories, while Lee added his distinctive dialogue and feverishly marketed the title. The eventual addition of legendary inker Joe Sinnott completed the package. For all that was revolutionary about the Fantastic Four, there is little about the characters' powers that is original. Mr. Fantastic's stretching ability mimicked Plastic Man, the Human Torch was a retread of a 1940s character with the same name, the powers of the Invisible Girl (as she was first known) date at least to H.G. Wells, and the Thing resembles any number of monsters. And collectively, as a team of uniformed adventurers with cool sci-fi gizmos, they looked a lot like the Challengers of the Unknown, a team created by Kirby for DC in 1957. Instead, the inventiveness came from the characters and their interactions. In the first issue, the Thing, (understandably) dismayed at becoming a monster, lashes out at the others. By issue three, the teenaged Human Torch quits the team in a huff. In issue eight, it's the Thing who quits. There's also humor, pop-culture references, and lots of action. For young comic readers, this was a radical departure from what they were reading elsewhere. 'The DC characters embraced authority, they were do-gooders, like the police who would come to your school and give a lecture,' says Jim Salicrup, who edited the title in the 1980s. 'There was a certain primal quality to Marvel characters.' Making the Fantastic Four unique among super teams is their family dynamic. While the members of other teams come and go, the Fantastic Four are, for better or worse, stuck with each other. 'They all are really closely tied together, by the original events that conspired to make them into the Fantastic Four. And they all went through it and they all got handed different cards in the deck,' says Walter Simonson, who wrote and drew the comic in the early 1990s. 'They're not people or characters from different origins and different places that get together and say, 'Hey, let's fight crime.'' According to Hickman, who wrote the Fantastic Four from 2009 and 2012, early drafts of the First Steps script missed that critical element. 'One of the notes I gave the studio was, 'This is excellent. It's very cool. I love this story, but here's the problem: It's about a superhero team and not a family.'' (He says subsequent drafts fixed it). After the initial success of the Fantastic Four comic, Lee quickly began adding new superheroes to the Marvel lineup, often working with Kirby, and busily cross-pollinating the titles. A year after the Fantastic Four debuted, they appeared on the cover of Amazing Spider-Man No. 1. The Hulk appeared in Fantastic Four 12. The Avengers brought five heroes together. The comics all contained letter pages, where fans debated the finer points of plots and characters, while Lee's monthly columns relentlessly promoted the lineup. A fan club soon followed. Readers ate it up. 'It was like joining a benevolent cult,' Salicrup says. By the end of the 1960s, the Marvel style of storytelling had spread to DC, whose heroes began to wrestle with real-world issues like racism and drug addiction. And Lee and Kirby continued to crank out their stories, introducing characters as varied and memorable as the Black Panther, Dr. Doom, Nick Fury, and Thor. That sustained decade of creativity is unmatched in comics, and was the result of the alchemy between Lee and Kirby, says Hickman. 'There are people who believe that you should swing for the fence every time,' Hickman says. 'That ideas are not a non-renewable resource, that it's a self perpetuating machine, that the more that you add to it, the more you get out of it. And I think people like that are prone to be able to do massive sprawling works of art. Those guys just happen to be those kinds of creators at the origin of what is a North American superhero industry. And we are so fortunate that we had those guys at the helm of the ship.'
